Marcus Ericsson didn’t just win glory and milk – a victory in the Indy 500 classic also meant a real addition to the coffers.
He wasn’t outright poor before – but now Marcus Ericsson has 3.1 million more reasons to rejoice at winning the Indianapolis 500 this weekend.
The victory check was in dollars, equivalent to 30 million kronor, the only time since Helio Castronev’s victory in 2009 that the winner took home more than $3 million.
– It’s still hard to absorb. It’s the biggest race in the world, it’s something we’ve all worked hard for and all dream about, says Marcus Ericsson of winning at a press conference.
Both the $16 million prize pool and winning money set record highs in the Indy 500 context.
It was also the first time in three years that the classic race was held on crowded podiums, with 325,000 spectators.
The victory also means Marcus Ericsson has moved up from eighth to number one on the overall Indycart table.
He himself mentions that it was difficult to come to the United States from Formula 1 as a driver for one of the worst stables, who used to run far back in the field.
Maybe people didn’t think much of me. I had to work hard, learn American racing. I moved here and have spent my whole life trying to be the Indycar and Indianapolis 500 champion, he told Indystar.